Try this healthy naturally gluten-free and sugar-free smoothie instead of your morning cup of coffee or as a mid-day pick-me-up.

I’ve always been a ‘just add water’ kind of green smoothie girl, never really wanting to add the extra calories or fat from milk, dairy-free or not. And then I saw unsweetened So Delicious Coconut milk at the store. (It was on sale and I had a coupon…I couldn’t pass it up.)

By itself, it doesn’t have any flavor at all but it does have a smoothness that I like. With half the calories of a cup a of 1% milk, healthy fats, some calcium, vitamin D, folate, iron, and B12 I decided it was worth a try.

Gosh, am I glad I did. If there was such a thing as a Green Smoothie Milk Shake without the stomach-turning sweetness this is it. It’s creamy with just a hint of richness…almost enough to make you forget that the green stuff you’re sucking through a straw is actually healthy.

And for those of you who don’t like the flavor of coconut – no worries. There’s no coconut taste but you still get all the health benefits.

If you don’t have any frozen fruit on hand, throw a few ice cubes on top of your greens. You’ll get the same effect.

Put the ingredients into your VitaMix in the order listed in the ingredient list, with the strawberries on the bottom and the spinach on the top. Start on the lowest speed and gradually increase into high speed. Use the tamper to push the ingredients into the blades. Mix until completely smooth.

Pour into chilled glasses and serve immediately.

Notes

**If using all kale, use 2 dates if desired to help balance out the bitterness.

I love green smoothies! Something very much like this one has been my breakfast most mornings over the past 2 weeks. I actually don’t find raw kale to be bitter at all–but maybe it’s just me? I think you’ve summed up the new carton-coconut milk perfectly: no real flavor, but it does add the “creaminess” factor very well.

@Carolyn, Guar Gum and Carrageenan are both natural so not really a problem, however I would agree that there are concerns this product is so highly fortified with added-in vitamins. This shows that the product has been stripped of the naturally occurring nutrients in processing, and they are added back in afterwards. Of particular concern is the Vitamin A Palmitate, which is a SYNTHETIC replacement of Vit A made from PALM OIL (which is not only bad for you, it is having a huge environmental impact on natural habitats) and ALCOHOL. There have also been concerns about it’s connection with cancer as used in sunscreens. In addition, this product lists cane juice as it’s second ingredient. While cane juice is considered healthier than cane sugar due to less processing and therefore higher nutrient content, it is nevertheless SUGAR. This recipe does NOT qualify as a sugar-free recipe, that’s for sure! I would recommend homemade coconut milk or nut milk over a processed product, especially if you want the true benefits of RAW. Good luck

If you steam your kale or spinach before hand and put them in ice cube trays, there won’t be any bitterness at all. I think there’s something about those raw greens that’s not so great for you as well?? Can’t remember.

@Paula`, it’s probably the oxalic acid in greens you have heard about. From what I have read, raw food experts believe that oxalic acid in raw foods is not dangerous and can be beneficial. They also advise that you can follow your instictive eating desires when your body is clean and detoxed. In other words, if you feel like spinach or kale, dose up; if you are ‘off’ it for a couple of days, you probably don’t need it. But only follow this if you are already detoxed! Also, if you steam your greens, you will probably lose the major benefits of eating them raw. Anything heated over 118 degrees F loses the important enzymes and vitamins that we get from them. That’s the point of eating raw. Good luck and feel free to look me up on facebook (same name).

I have to admit that I don’t particularly like that creaminess from the carrageenan or whatever gum they use to thicken it.

I have, however, been on a raw fennel kick. It’s like eating candy!

Paula, brassicas (members of the cabbage family) should not be eaten raw in large quantities because they can depress your thyroid function. I don’t know the volume that’s considered problematic off-hand.

This certainly looks gorgeous. I love that you add dates to your smoothie. I guess I’ve always opted for stevia (not wanting to add calories) or a bit of honey – I’m afraid my blender wouldn’t make the dates creamy enough without blending until my smoothie was warm. LOL I sometimes add a bit of canned coconut milk, or homemade almond milk, to my smoothies to add richness, but haven’t tried adding So Delicious’s coconut beverage. I like it, but I tend not to finish it (don’t drink or use a lot of “milk” unless I’m baking) in a timely manner, so I don’t buy it routinely. You are reminding me I need to get a green smoothie in sometime today!

Amy, first I want to tell you congratulations on your many accomplishments! It is awesome to see the good things happening for you. You give so much it is about time it comes back to you. This smoothie looks very refreshing!

Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe, Amy! We actually found it elsewhere, and our fabulous Facebook fans pointed out to us that it wasn’t your site, so we deleted our update and reposted it to our page with the correct link. We truly love our blogger friends and want to let you know how much we appreciate your culinary talents and tireless efforts to make life so delicious!

@Gail for So Delicious Dairy Free, Thanks, Gail! I do really appreciate your product, especially the added calcium and the neutral flavor. My husband doesn’t like coconut so I can use this and he can’t taste it at all.

Here’s the ingredients from the Original Sugar Free: Right after guar gum it says REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT). Whole leaf stevia is fine to use (I only buy Sweet Leaf brand) but the REB A that is in this product is an extraction of the leaf. Here’s the link to the page:

Hey Suzanne, you’re a nutritionist, but you were fooled by a list of ingredients on a package label? That sounds pretty strange.

While whole foods are ideal, most of us rely to some extent on the convenience of packaged foods, especially when it comes to milk. So Delicious is far and away the best-tasting, minimally processed milk out there. All packaged dairy-free milks use gums as stabilizers. And where did you get the idea that they use “fake” stevia? Their unsweetened beverage doesn’t have any sweetener at all, and their sugar-free flavors say “Rebaudiana A.” That sure sounds like REAL stevia to me. In fact, the best part of stevia leaf is Rebaudiana A. (It contains more of the sweetness and less of the bitterness of the leaf.) It seems like you have some kind of axe to grind. This shake recipe sounds really delicious. Please let those of us who aren’t sitting around cracking open our own coconuts enjoy it in peace.

Suzanne, I see what you are referring to now (I was looking at the refrigerated unsweetened beverage, not the shelf stable sugar free variety.

I agree, the Reb A may not be the healthiest of choices; I can’t say that I am crazy about the method of which it is extracted (using ethanol or methanol)…. I wouldn’t use it for a sweetener in my home.

As for the milks, I prefer the refrigerated varieties, but only use them for smoothies generally. I too don’t like the texture that the gums used give it (but I don’t mind the use of the gums in general).

I loved it! Had it for a snack this morning. I used kale. I had no strawberries, but had fresh blueberries on hand so i used those. It was tasty!! I just wasn’t green, kind of a purplish brown color. thanks!!

Hi Anna! We noticed that you and you readers had a few concerns, and I wanted to take a moment to address them. The Stevia used in So Delicious products is made using a cold process extraction of Rebaudioside A from Rebaudiana Bertoni. It does not use organic solvents nor ethanol and is 100% pure. While there is no such thing as “fake” stevia, there are various extraction methods. As with other ingredients used in So Delicious products, the Stevia is manufactured using the most natural, non-chemical process available.

The containers we use all are certified BPA free and the materials are made from materials that do not have an impact on the product contained therein. In addition, all of the packaging materials are recyclable.

Thanks again for the lovely shake recipe. I’m having one this morning!

Hi Amy, I love smoothies and after a day of studying this is just what I needed!! I have Kale growing in the garden so off to pick some. I think I will make some chips too today. Posted the linkback for your wonderful SIT, hopefully did it the right way and thanks so much again!!
Have a wonderful weekend
Ali

About Amy

Living free of refined sugars and gluten since 2004 has allowed me to live a fulfilled, healthy life. My food cravings, migraines, and depression vanished and was able to maintain a 60+ pound weight loss. Today I live with enormous freedom. Join me as I create healthier food that's SS&GF and delicious. I hope to help you do the same. Read more about my story here.